Cooling fan assembly for auto engines and the like



- March 24, 1959 w. G. M INNES COOLING FAN ASSEMBLY FOR AUTO ENGINES ANDTHE LIKE Filed March 5, 1956 wh t INVENTOQ WrLLlAM G. M INNES ammM l-*XM1nzuz nfrvs.

COOLING FAN ASSEMBLY FOR AUTO ENGINES AND THE LIKE William GordonMcInnes, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Application March 5, 1956, Serial No.569,339

2 Claims. (Cl. 257-126) My invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in cooling fan assemblies for auto engines, the principalobject and essence of my invention being to provide a device of thecharacter herewithin described whereby the tips of the fan blades areprevented from coming into engagement with the radiator core in theevent of accidents or the like, thereby preventing said core fromdamage.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterherewithin described which can readily be attached to existing radiatorcores.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a device of thecharacter herewithin described which may include a novel fan bladeconstruction, inasmuch as the fan blade assembly is provided with aperimetrical ring which, in the event of accidents, may come intointerfacial contact with the stationary ring on the radiator core,thereby preventing damage occurring to said radiator core.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of thecharacter herewithin described which is simple in construction,economical in manufacture, and otherwise well suited to the purpose forwhich it is designed.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects andadvantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to whichthis invention relates as this specification proceeds, my inventionconsists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all ashereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a radiator core showing part of myinvention in situ.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the ring of Figure 1 prior to fittingto the core and showing one method of attaching same.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 2 taken after attaching the ringof Figure 2 to the core.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the modified fan blade assembly.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of an engine and radiator core showing therelationship between the fan blade assembly and the ring.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the different figures.

It is well known that a great number of minor accidents cause sufiicientdeflection of the radiator core to permit the tips of the fan blades tocome into contact with the core, thereby damaging same severely.

Under certain circumstances, severe stress on the chassis of the car ortruck will also cause this to occur, due primarily. to the fact thatthere is relatively small clearance between the fan blades and the innersurface of the core of the radiator.

My device is designed to overcome this disadvantage, thereby protectingthe core from damage in the event of minor accidents or severe stressoccurring through the chassis.

Proceeding, therefore, to describe my invention in detail, it will beseen that I have illustrated a modified States Patent 0 2,879,040Patented Mar. 24, 1959 form of fan blade construction collectivelydesignated 1, which includes a conventional hub 2 and a set of blades 3extending radially therefrom. However, a planar ring 4 is secured to thetip 5 of the fan blades circumferentially, this ring either beingsecured as by welding or the like or, alternatively, pressed from onepiece at the same time as the fan blades are formed.

A further stationary ring collectively designated 6 is adapted to besecured to the inner surface 7 of the conventional radiator core 8, asclearly illustrated in Figure 1, and on a common axis to the fan bladeassembly 1, as illustrated in Figure 3. One form of attachment of thisring to the radiator core is shown in Figure 2 and takes the form of aplanar ring 7', having a plurality of prongs 8' extending radially fromthe outer edge 9 thereof and a plurality of prongs 10 extending inwardlyfrom the inner edge 11 of the ring. These prongs are bent at rightangles to the plane of the disc or ring and are then passed through theinterstices of the radiator core 8, whereupon the ends are bent at rightangles, as shown in Figure 3, thus securing the ring firmly to the innersurface of the core.

In order to prevent this ring from cutting down the efiiciency of thecooling area, it may be perforated as at 12 to permit air to passtherethrough.

In operation, the modified fan blade assembly 1 is secured to the fanbearing in the conventional manner, whereupon the stationary ring 7' issecured to the inner surface of the core ofthe radiator, as hereinbeforede scribed, said ring and said fan blade assembly being on a commonaxis.

In the event that the core is deflected due to impact or severe strain,the perimetrical ring 4 of the fan blade assembly merely comes intointerfacial contact with the stationary ring 7', which is preferablymade of a relatively soft metal, such as copper. This prevents anydamage occurring to the core of the radiator, thereby efiecting aconsiderable saving in repairs, particularly of minor accidents.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabovedescribed, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same madewithin the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from suchspirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in theaccompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only andnot in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A coolingfan assembly for auto engines and the like comprising incombination with a conventional radiator core having an inner surfaceadjacent to the associated engine, a set of fan blades, a hub upon whichsaid blades are mounted, a perimetrical ring spanning the tips of saidblades circumferentially, and a corresponding stationary ring secured tosaid inner surface of said radiator core in spaced and parallelrelationship from said perimetrical ring and on the same axis, saidstationary ring being provided with means for securing same to saidradiator core, said means taking the form of a plurality of radiallyextending prongs around the outer perimetrical edge of said ring andfurther radially extending prongs around the inner perimetrical edge ofsaid ring, said prongs being adapted to pass through interstices withinsaid radiator core and to be angulated at the distal ends thereof,thereby securing said ring to said core.

2. The device according to claim 1 in which said stationary ring isperforated.

Montgomery Apr. 20, 1915 McLemore Aug. 3, 1943

